Signal lamp



W. F. CUMMINGS SIGNAL LAMP. V

APPLICATI'OIN FILED JULY 11.1919.

1,437,835, Patented Dec.5,1922,.

, 4 SHEETS-$HEET I.

W. F. CUMMINGS.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLICATION FILEDIULY 11.1919.

* l tgma" Dec. 5, 1922.5

'4 SHEETS-SHEET 2. A

7 an? in FQZZR W. F. CUMMINGS.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1|.1919.

Patented 'Dec. 5, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. F. CUMMINGS.

SIGNAL LAMB. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1919.

1,437,835. Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

I 4 SHEETSSHEET 4-. 914

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

WILLIAM F. CUMMINGS, Oh CHICAG-Q, ILLINOIS.

"SIG-m1. LAJiIIE.

atria-ea ,fiija Jiily i,

To all whomrz't may comer-n: I

Be it known that L YVILIJrAM, F. Corr- MINcs, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Lamps, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to signal lamps. .One o f the objectsof the invention is to provide a knocl g-down'signal lamp in which the parts are inter-changeable, and in which a selected number of luminous outlets, within its capacity, maybe incorpoi-a ain theassembled lamp structure. v Whereoneor more highways cross a railway. track, a warning signal is usually placed, consisting of a periodically displayed, gas or electrigfiash light. Insituations where tWo or Inoreroads cross a railway track at different angles thereto, a lamp having an outlet within a plane radiali'rom the ,Source of light and parallel with the roadway path, isnecessary for its greatest efligziency and toproperly comply with the statutory provisions. A v v s I It is manifest, therefore, that especially eonstructed lamps of a large variety, as now made, re called for to meet the many varied q ementp w .When understood that a lamp, properly adapted for the purpose, should have a luminous outlet with a field oi? vision in liiie with each roadway,,one for each side of the railway track, and ,su chnecessity is requisite for each roadway crossing the track at agiven point, the nicety of required adjustment will be realized. In iny improved lamp the luminous outlet, or lens carryingjframe, may be located at any point within the circumferential extentof the lamp so that any two luminous :t etsmay be placed and maintained in the 1 lamp frame at any desired degree cf separat og after thelamp has been located t e fl t$ i 1 it s pp rt. I Q

The :st'riicti. e 'issuchthat the proper location oif the lenses maybedeterm ned by empirical tests, by visual observation from the respective roadways. and the several lenses thereupon adjusted until the light fields properly correspond with the radial direction of the roadways. p i

The construction of my improved lamp is also such that the lens-carrying frames .m ybc placed in the m'ain frame and circumferehtially adjusted to their proper re 1919. serial to. 316,117.

spective locatio iis and after they havebeeii so adjusted, opaque filler blanks may then be ing an especially constructed lamp for the purpose. This results, in a very satisfactory method of installment. and saving" of expense in the manufacture of the lamps, by duplication of parts, and the very large number of lamps required to bel ept in stock when they are arbitrarily made to fit the yarying' conditions to be found in actual practice. I

Other, further and more specificobjects or my invention will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following descriptidn, when t alte'n in conjunction with the drawings, Whereinz-- y I A Fig. l is a central vertical section of one embodiment of m amp. J

Fig. 2 is a traiiverse section thru the p- Fig.3 isa section; similar to Fig. l,taken at right angles thereto, on line 3-3 of Fig. etis a transverse section; similar to Fig. 2, showing three luminous outlets instead of two, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged portion of a rod for connecting the upper and lower sections of the main frame together, showing parts in Section f A v ,Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lenscarryingframe; and p p 7 is a filler, to be placed between the parts of the main frame and between the lens-carrying frames. I a v In all the views the same 'eierencecharacters are employed to indicate similar arts. I y p In the embodiment or; my inventioii, as illustrated in the drawings, 10 is a flange, screw threaded, as at 11, to. be mounted upon a pipe supportl2, throughwhichthe wires Band 1e pass to a socket 155, iii which is contained alamp 16.

Otcourse, in so far as my invention is concerned, a light or light from any other suitable source maybeemployed, and it may be a, periodicalfiash light or steady burning light, as desired;

The lamp casing, orhousing, of the lower main frame part 15, secured to the flange b screws 16, that also secure the receptac e 15 thereto. The part 15 provides a vertical rim 17, turned over at its top edge, as at 18, to lend strength to the structure and 011 the outside of the rim 1? is a ring 19 having one edge inturned to leave a space or annular groove between the outer surface of the rim 17 and the part 21 of the ring 19. The outer edge 22 of the ring is outturned to'provide the flange 23. This leaves an annular space or groove between the ring and the flange 17, within which to insert the lens-carrying frames 24, and the fillers 25. The upper portion 26 of the main frame comprises a top 27, having downturned vertical rim 28, provided with a series of ventilating apertures 29, especially when the lamp is to be used for gas, and an overlying ring 30, spaced away from the apertures, but covering them so that water will not enter the interior of the casing. Near the lower end of the rim 28 is a ring 31 having its upper edge inturned, as at 32, and its mid-portion outturned and foldet upon itself, as at 33, to form flange and its other edge 34 downturned and separated from the rim 28 to leave an annular space or groove for the insertion of the lens-carrying frames and the separators, or tillers.

The lens-carrying frames 24 each consists of the segment 35 curved properly to fit within the annular spaces between the rings 19 and 31 and the respective parts 15 and 26. Each of the lens-carrying frames has an inturned and outturned edge 37, somewhat shorter than the part 35, and it also carries a tapered lens-holding rim 38. The

lens 39 is held'in the rim by a ring 40 secured in place by ascrew 41 passing through the two parts of the ,meeting terminals of the ring.

The fillers 25 each consists of a piece of tin, or other similar sheet metal, properly curved, and of standard length, but of variable width, that are to be placed within the annular grooves of the main frame part and the lens-carrying frames, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, If the space be tween the lens-carrying frames is less than the width of the given number of fillers 25, the side edges of the fillers may be trimmed with shears until they exactly fit the space between thelens frames; The fillers 25 lie within the rabbet made by the inturned pdrtion 37 of the lens-carrying frame, thereby making the entire casing or housing alosolutely light proof, except through the luminous openings. Means for. holding the lower portion 15 and the upper portion 26 of the main casing together, consists of the rod 42 having heads 43, one at each end, similar in construction, consisting of. an outturned part 44, and an inturned part45, separated sufficiently to admit the flanges, the u per'fiaageea and the lowerfiange 23,

between the parts 44 and 45. An axially aligned hole is drilled for a screw 46, into the part 44, as at 41 and the screw is preferably sharp pointed, so that when it is tightened in position, it pushes part of the rim or bead into the perforation 47 which holds the separating bars 42 firmly and securely in place at any point on the respective rims. The rims or beads 23 and 33, extend uninterruptedly around the two major portions of the casing and since the lens carrying frames are to be located at varying points in the circumferential extent of the casing, the holding rods 42 are of such character that they may be located at any selected point, in contact with the respective rims. i

in locating the lamp in the situation in which it is to be maintained, the bottom main portion 1.5, of the lamp casing, is placed in position on the supporting pipe 12, as shown in Fig. 3, after which as many lens-carrying f ames as are required for the particular situation, are placed between the main portion 15 and the main portion 26, of the casing. Then the lens-carrying frames are rotated, in the main frame to the positions required, with respect to the varying conditions of the roadway. After the lenscarrying frames have been properly located, so that the burning light within the casing can be distinctly seen, from E each of the approaching roadways, the lens-carrying frames are marked in their adjusted positions, then the top 26 is removed and fillers or separators 25, that have been cut to the properwidth are placed in thegroove of the bottom frame 15, whereupon the, upper frame 26 is returned to its former position and the rods 42 are placed in contact with the rims 23 and 33, respectively, and held in place between the lens-carrying frames of the organized structure.

Now, from the foregoing description and the exemplification shown in the drawings, it is manifest, to persons skilled in the art, that any number of luminous outlets may be placed in the main frame or casing of the lamp, located in the manner described, at the proper angle, with respect to the railway track, and maintained 'in their adjusted positions by the fillers thatare subsequently placed between adjacent luminous outlet frames and the assembled structure held together bythe rods 42, that may be placed at any convenient point within adiacent lens carrying frames.

Having described my invention, what I claim is I 1. A knockdown signal lamp casing having in combinative association an upper and a lower separable casing part, each part having uninterrupted circumferentially continuous means for holdin the lens-carrying frame at any desired point of said means and opaque filler blanks and a lens carrying frame to close the casing; an outwardly-projecting, circumferentially-continuous rim, carried by each of said casing parts and two or more rods engaging said rims outside of the casing to hold the parts to gether.

2. A lamp casing having in combination an upper and a lower casing part, each part having a circulnferentially continuous groove Within which lens carrying frames and intervening fillers are carried; lens carrying frames having curved ends inserted Within said grooves respectively; intervening opaque fillers having curved ends inserted within said grooves between the frames and in the same circumferential plane and rods engaging said casing parts outside of the frames and fillers to hold the parts together.

3. A knock-down signal lamp having in conibinative association a casing providing a lower part with a circumferentially-continuous groove; an upper part, having a similar confronting groove; one or more lens-carrying frames having an opening within which to mount a lens and having curved terminal ends for insertion in there spective grooves; fillers of substantially the same height as the lens-carrying frames and having curved terminal ends for insertion in the grooves between the lens-carrying frames and rods having U-shaped ends between the members of which to receive projections from the said casing parts and a screw, threaded thru the outer member of each said U-shaped part to engage said projections, to hold the casing parts together.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribed my name.

'VVILLIAM F. CUlVllVlIllGrS. 

